Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-12-28

pig iron, which had higher total value
than silver and gold combined. The
consumption of natural gas was more
than double that of 1885, and twenty
times greater than in 1883. 1t is esti-
mated that the value of coal displaced by
natural gas in 1856 was more than So
100000. This is slightly less than half
the value of petroleum.
Southern California Correspondence.
The NEEDLES, Cal, Dec Is.
DEAR Crow = | took i'll
most of the newspaper Offices on the
coast and find they pay so cents for
newspaper work and from $18 to $2l
per week for job work. but all strictly
union The Los Angeles Times, the
most prominent daily in Southern Cali
fornia, has until recently been running
sixteen pages daily. now it has cut down
to eight, with 16-page Sunday edition.
Other newspapers are cutting in a SINH
lar manner, which inclines me to be-
lief that they must smell good sized
rat in connection with the great boom.
Of course interested parties emphatical
ly deny that the boom is on the decline.
and the prices paid for real estate would
almost justify their argument, but
many of the old timers who have made
their pile are about as anxious to clean
out entire as they can. Everything has
MI 10, ff.r L.,
stand on the corner to five story bust
ness block on Main street, but it is need
less to say that awfully fancy figures
are asked. My experience OF boom
towns has been that money was plenti-
full in all classes of society; in Los An
geles it is plentiful, but in the hands OF
the few only, and they know how to
hold on to it. The majority of people
coming into Southern California are the
regular .'down east Yankees who can
usually make nickle run as far as
some people can rs cents. and their par
simonious spirit is becoming part and
parcel of all the inhabitants
Wages are not nearly SO good as one
would be led to expect from the CLAIR
ing accounts Of The papers. Laborers
receive from 81 to $1.25 and
board, and other trades in about
the same proportion, except car
penters and bricklayers, who make from
$3.50 to So per day, but those wages
will not last many more weeks. A bad
sign in my estimation is the fact that all
the employment offices are crowded by
men out of employment and one sees
about the same faces day after day look
ing in vain for work. Residents of
several years with whom became ac-
quainted have acknowledged my views
to be in a great measure true. but re-
turn to the old argument used by every
one .'but just look at our glorious eli
mate" The climate is undoubtedly ex-
cellent and for a millionaire California
is all that can be desired, but for poor
man to work himself up in, it is as much
or more so uphill work than further
east For instance land commands all
the way from $3.50 to 81 900 an acre.
and in addition to that expensive ipigat-
ing bitches must be used. or no crop is
the result, SO you can figure out that
considerable capital is necessary
to start even small ranch, and farm
hands are paid $25 and board
Well guess you are about tired of
my growlings SO I will come back to
personal matters. l have obtained
government clerkship and shall hold it
down for while and then if the fates
are propitious shall return to Dakota. for
between you and /, Bob. old Dakota
gets there with any Of them
With best wishes believe me to be,
Yours faithfully.
L. II. HARBEgD.